Five weeks after fall, Darren's still in a bad way

Darren Beadman's still in a bad way more than 5 weeks after being injured in a barrier trial fall at Sha Tin in Hong Kong. At 48, there are many who fear he won't return to riding. The medical diagnosis is a 'diffuse axonal injury', which affects balance, speech and memory. In the Sydney Morning Herald, DB says: 'I don't like saying I'm lucky but I'm blessed to be alive. Most of the cases end up vegetables or stay in a coma. I'm not trying to dramatise it; I'm saying it how it is.' Darren's now

Darren Beadman's still in a bad way more than 5 weeks after being injured in a barrier trial fall at Sha Tin in Hong Kong. At 48, there are many who fear he won't return to riding. The medical diagnosis is a 'diffuse axonal injury', which affects balance, speech and memory. In the Sydney Morning Herald, DB says: 'I don't like saying I'm lucky but I'm blessed to be alive. Most of the cases end up vegetables or stay in a coma. I'm not trying to dramatise it; I'm saying it how it is.' Darren's now back home but he walks with the aid of a stick, and he admits: 'I don't know what the outcome is going to be...I'm just glad I've had my day in the sun. Whatever I get from here is just cream. I've had a great career. Some people haven't had the opportunity to have that. That's the way I look at it.'